Middlebury Elementary School

Regular attendance is important to your child’s success in school.  If your child is going to be absent or tardy from school, please call the attendance line at 203-758-1911 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and leave a message on the answering machine informing the school of the reason for your child’s absence/tardiness.  Excused absence is absence from a regularly scheduled school day that is determined by the school principal or his/her designee to be for any of the following reasons:

• a medical reason
• a religious holiday
• a court appearance
• a suspension/expulsion
• a funeral or death in the family
• a serious family emergency
• an approved school activity such as a field trip
• in limited circumstances with the approval of the principal, a special activity.

Other absences will be considered unexcused. 

Failure to inform the school for your child’s absence will result in a phone call from the school to verify your child’s whereabouts.  If you fail to inform the school of the reason for your child’s absence, or if the reason is not excused as described above, your child’s absence will be recorded as unexcused.  Four or more unexcused absences in a month, or ten or more unexcused absences in the course of a year will result in intervention by school personnel, including a required meeting with parents and possible referral of the problem to juvenile authorities.

Upon return to school, your child will be expected to arrange with his/her teacher(s) to make up any work that has been missed.  If your child is absent from school for multiple days, you may call the school to request an assignment sheet, which shall be available for pick up at the school office on the day following your request. 

Tardiness

Punctual attendance is important, and parents and guardians are responsible for assuring that students arrive to school on time.  A pattern of tardiness will not be accepted, and school personnel will take appropriate actions in such cases.

Early Dismissal

Except for illness or emergency situations, students are expected to be in school for the entire day. Students who must leave early are requested to have a signed note giving them parental permission.  The student should present this note to the office in the morning.  Parents must sign students who are leaving early out of the school in the early dismissal book kept in the office, and parents or guardians must take responsibility for the student’s safe transportation home.

(The full Board policy, Attendance and Truancy, may be read here.)